Rosemont’s New Minecraft Experience Is Built For Kids — And Their Parents

ROSEMONT, IL — For parents of Minecraft-obsessed kids, the appeal of spending an evening mining for resources, battling creepers and exploring blocky biomes probably needs little explanation.

For everyone else, “Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue” at EXP Rosemont might come as a surprise.

Recently, a Patch reporter and his 9-year-old Minecraft-loving son got an inside look at the immersive attraction, which officially opened earlier this month in Rosemont’s Pearl District. What followed was part scavenger hunt, part interactive video game and part sensory overload — in a good way.

We knew it was going to be a fun experience as my son's eyes lit up as soon as we walked in. He's been playing the game on our PlayStation 5 longer than my wife and I care to admit.

An employee led us to the front of the line, where we joined a growing group preparing to enter at our scheduled time. Once inside, each guest was handed an “Orb of Interaction,” which quickly turned out to be the centerpiece of the entire experience.

The attraction transforms the world’s best-selling video game into a real-life adventure where guests move through multiple themed environments inspired by the Minecraft universe. Armed with the glowing handheld device, visitors collect resources, solve challenges and work together to rescue villagers from a zombie attack.

Even for adults unfamiliar with Minecraft lore, the attraction is surprisingly easy to follow.

First up was the “Forest,” where guests learn how to use the Orb. Of course, my son figured it out within seconds while his Gen X dad dreamed of the simple Atari joystick he owned back in the early 1980s at the same age.

Without giving too much away — though many Minecrafters have probably already made multiple trips to Rosemont — the interactive experience becomes increasingly fun as groups work together to complete missions, collect items and even throw snowballs at Creepers.

My son, who plays soccer and several other sports when he’s not chasing down zombies on Minecraft, unsurprisingly enjoyed this part the most.

Throughout the roughly hourlong experience, guests travel through seven different Minecraft realms featuring oversized recreations of familiar settings and creatures from the game. Pandas, dolphins, skeletons, spiders and Creepers all make appearances through immersive projection technology, lighting and interactive effects.

The attraction was created by Montreal-based multimedia studio Supply + Demand in collaboration with Mojang Studios, the developer behind Minecraft, and Experience MOD.

“Minecraft has become a shared experience for players across generations — rooted in creativity, curiosity and adventure,” organizers said in promotional materials announcing the Midwest debut.

And while hardcore fans will recognize countless references and Easter eggs, organizers stress no prior Minecraft experience is necessary.

That became clear during Patch’s visit.

The experience culminates in a final mission to craft a potion capable of saving the village, with participants celebrating afterward inside a Minecraft-themed trading post filled with merchandise and collectibles.

For kids already immersed in Minecraft culture, the attraction delivers a chance to physically step inside a world they usually only experience through screens. For parents, it also offers an opportunity to better understand why the game has remained a global phenomenon for more than a decade.

Minecraft remains the best-selling video game of all time, with more than 300 million copies sold worldwide, according to organizers.

Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is currently running for a limited time at EXP Rosemont, 9900 Berwyn Ave.

Tickets start at $28, with group and family packages also available. More information can be found at MinecraftExperience.com.